Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

If you have the opportunity to explore a new country and new technology with The Green Program, do it! This program was so educational teaching me not only about the Icelandic culture but also the amazing geothermal and hydropower technology their geography allows them to run. The friends I made on this trip are some of the best people I've ever met, and we still talk about our experiences from the trip every day. We all shed some tears when we had to leave, but we knew we would always have the Green family with us and those amazing memories we made too.

I had a great time on the Iceland TGP program! I explored some areas in Iceland and met some great people. The trip was a good way to close out my academic career as a graduate student. My favorite part was learning about Iceland's sustainability initiatives and exploring the country, as well as meeting a whole bunch of cool new people. I enjoyed the learning aspect but felt there could have been more, as well as more hiking and exploration. I still had a good time and recommend as a spring break for other college students.

Being my first time out of the United States, I didn't have a lot to base my Iceland experience off of but I can easily say this was the best week+ of my life. The sights alone were enough to make this a great trip, but on top of that I was with a great group of people that wanted to explore as much as possible. This trip definitely forced me out of my comfort zone (in a good way!) and made me realize how much I love adventure. The food was definitely a plus and it was great to come back from a long hike to a homecooked meal.

Going with The GREEN Program to Iceland was easily one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’d never been surrounded by so many like-minded people so eager to learn. Although some may find the weather there off-putting, I saw it as a wonderfully unique experience. One minute the sun was out and the sky was bright blue, and about 30 seconds later we’d be hit with the some of the strongest winds I’d ever felt and pelted by weirdly-shaped snow. It was unpredictable, fun, and always changing. The people there were so culturally diverse from one another, even though the majority of us were from the same country, and it was amazing to learn, share ideas with, and just be around such a great group of people.

One obstacle I faced when committing to the program was cost. Looking back at the experience, it was worth it. The personalized tours, classroom exposure to lectures on Iceland’s History, Hydropower, Geothermal, and Power Systems, along with all the beautiful sights, truly made the program the best spring break trip I’ve taken.

I have participated in study abroad before, and this one was the most engaging and planned out. You also meet great like minded people, who want to change the world with you!

I recently completed the Green Program's Iceland course and have never had a more enjoyable experience in my life. The local guides that joined us on our trip were extremely knowledgeable, designed really unique excursions I wouldn't have had if I visited Iceland on my own (A highlight was visiting a mountain and cave near one of our guide's hometowns that I never would have known existed), and were still very flexible with letting us decide what we wanted to do. Additionally, the graduate student helping us for the learning aspects of the program was super friendly, helpful, and never was unable to answer one of our technical or scientific questions. While the experience had relatively no cons for me, some of the things I loved may not be for other people. For example, our days were always packed with very little time to rest or relax. Also, the excursions we went on were somewhat physically demanding, and we would often hike or walk through extreme weather for many hours a day. I loved these aspects of the program, but understand that might not be for everyone. Also, I met some incredible friends while on the trip, but this is a sustainability-focused program, so if you are not interested in the environmental aspect of the program, you will feel out of place.

The Green Program did an awesome job showing the beauty of Iceland through excursions to see waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, and geysers. We were able to see the cultural emphasis Iceland has on preserving nature. We also learned about energy production/consumption through classes and touring geothermal and hydropower plants learning about Iceland's 100% reliance on renewable energy! The food was really yummy and all meals during the program were provided. We stayed in private hostels during the trip so the rooms were only shared with other people on the green program trip. The days had a balance of nature and academic focus which was nice!

I originally applied to The GREEN Program in December of 2019 with the intention of traveling to Iceland in March 2020, but as we are all too familiar with by now, the pandemic has changed many of our plans.

I originally wanted to participate in the program as a sort of first step toward a career in sustainability/renewable energy, and with it being postponed, I had to take my future into my own hands. In the fall of 2020, I changed my Master's degree from Electrical Engineering to Green Technologies, and over winter break from December 2020 to January 2021, I was so pleased to participate in The GREEN Program's "Learn Now, Travel Later" program where I was able to complete the coursework for the program ahead of traveling to Iceland.

Pulling inspiration from geothermal energy systems in Iceland, I wrote a proposal for "Utilizing Geothermal Energy to Aid in the Deicing of Roadways in the United States" to combat the negative environmental effects of road salts.

After 3 postponements, I was finally able to travel to Iceland this past December to complete a capstone proposal and explore the island with my cohort. My capstone group proposed a non-profit called Southeast Wind which would advocate for wind energy solutions in the Southeast US where wind energy has yet to be fully taken advantage of despite its great potential. The challenge of working with others to come up with a solution to a real world problem is such a valuable experience.

A massive thank you to everyone at TGP who made this trip possible, and I can't wait to put what I've learned in this program to use in my career!